Climate
Greater Manchester experiences a temperate maritime climate, like most of the British Isles, with relatively cool summers and mild winters. The county's average annual rainfall is 806.6 millimetres (31.76 in) compared to the UK average of 1,125.0 millimetres (44.29 in), and its mean rain days are 140.4 per annum, compared to the UK average of 154.4. The mean temperature is slightly above average for the United Kingdom; Greater Manchester also has a relatively high humidity level, which lent itself to the optimised and breakage-free textile manufacturing which took place around the county. Snowfall is not a common sight in the built up areas, due to the urban warming effect. However, the Pennine and Rossendale Forest hills around the eastern and northern edges of the county receive more snow, and roads leading out of the county can be closed due to heavy snowfall, notably the A62 road via Standedge, the A57 (Snake Pass) towards Sheffield, and the M62 over Saddleworth Moor.
Climate data for Manchester (Ringway) 69m asl, 1981-2010, extremes 1960-2005 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.3 (57.7) |
15.2 (59.4) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.4 (74.1) |
26.7 (80.1) |
31.3 (88.3) |
32.2 (90.0) |
33.7 (92.7) |
28.4 (83.1) |
26.3 (79.3) |
17.2 (63.0) |
15.1 (59.2) |
33.7 (92.7) |
Average high °C (°F) | 7.3 (45.1) |
7.6 (45.7) |
10.0 (50.0) |
12.6 (54.7) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.6 (65.5) |
20.6 (69.1) |
20.3 (68.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
13.9 (57.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
7.4 (45.3) |
13.5 (56.3) |
Average low °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
1.6 (34.9) |
3.3 (37.9) |
4.9 (40.8) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.6 (54.7) |
12.4 (54.3) |
10.3 (50.5) |
7.4 (45.3) |
4.2 (39.6) |
1.8 (35.2) |
6.6 (43.9) |
Record low °C (°F) | −12 (10.4) |
−13.1 (8.4) |
−9.7 (14.5) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
2.0 (35.6) |
6.0 (42.8) |
3.6 (38.5) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−3 (26.6) |
−6.8 (19.8) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
Rainfall mm (inches) | 72.3 (2.846) |
51.4 (2.024) |
61.2 (2.409) |
54.0 (2.126) |
56.8 (2.236) |
66.1 (2.602) |
63.9 (2.516) |
77.0 (3.031) |
71.5 (2.815) |
92.5 (3.642) |
81.5 (3.209) |
80.7 (3.177) |
828.8 (32.63) |
Avg. rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 13.1 | 9.7 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.4 | 11.1 | 10.9 | 12.0 | 11.1 | 13.6 | 14.1 | 13.5 | 142.9 |
Avg. snowy days | 9 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 30 |
% humidity | 87 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 82 | 84 | 86 | 88 | 89 | 89 | 87 | 87 | 86.3 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 52.5 | 73.9 | 99.0 | 146.9 | 188.3 | 172.5 | 179.7 | 166.3 | 131.2 | 99.3 | 59.5 | 47.1 | 1,416.2 |
Source #1: Met Office | |||||||||||||
Source #2: NOAA |
Read more about this topic: Geography Of Greater Manchester
Famous quotes containing the word climate:
“Russian forests crash down under the axe, billions of trees are dying, the habitations of animals and birds are layed waste, rivers grow shallow and dry up, marvelous landscapes are disappearing forever.... Man is endowed with creativity in order to multiply that which has been given him; he has not created, but destroyed. There are fewer and fewer forests, rivers are drying up, wildlife has become extinct, the climate is ruined, and the earth is becoming ever poorer and uglier.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (18601904)
“If often he was wrong and at times absurd,
To us he is no more a person
Now but a whole climate of opinion.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)
“Is not their climate foggy, raw, and dull,
On whom, as in despite, the sun looks pale,
Killing their fruit with frowns?”
—William Shakespeare (15641616)